You Can Grow Younger

The #1 Thing You MUST Do to Eat Healthfully

It turns out that what we put into our mouth is not nearly as important as what we believe about what we put into our mouth. It works like this.

If we truly believe that a food or food group is good for us (i.e., important to maintaining robust health), but we seldom eat it, for whatever reason, we are asking for trouble. Likewise, if there are foods and drinks that we know  (i.e., strongly believe) are "bad" for us and we consume them frequently anyway, we are setting ourselves up for health problems in the future. Here's why!

Another name for beliefs is expectations. For our optimal well-being, our beliefs about what we consume or don't consume need to match our strong desire to be fit and healthy. When we are regularly taking actions that are thought to be in opposition to our desires, the result is stress. It shows itself in the form of feelings of guilt, remorse, anger or other negative emotions about what we've eaten, haven't been eating or the amount of food we've been downing AND it can eventually result in an unwanted health/disease condition.

The stress that builds up over time because our eating habits are not in sync with our desire to look, feel and perform at our best causes the stress hormone, cortisol, among others, to be released into the blood stream on a regular basis. Cortisol blocks the release of human growth hormone (Hgh). The release of Hgh into the blood stream starts the process of repair and regeneration of cells to counteract free-radical damage and the general wear and tear associated with aging. Cortisol has priority in that its job is to deal with the imminent threat that stress is perceived to pose. Therefore, energy is diverted from digesting food, killing microbes, repairing and regenerating cells, and other everyday functions in order to deal with the stress. If this disruption happens too often, we end up with dis-ease.

Nutritionists would have us believe that what we eat should match the latest findings of science (which are, as we well know, in constant flux -- e.g., first coffee is bad for us, then it's beneficial and then the latest findings determine that it is harmful -- or  is it? ...). At present, the experts might say, for example, that we need a low-fat diet high in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and plenty of pure water. This sounds good with what we currently know, but ignores the fact that folks around the world thrive with very diverse eating habits:

• The Tarahumara Indians of northwestern Mexico, known for running 50, 80 and 100 miles at a time, thrive on a diet that's about 80% complex carbohydrates (almost exclusively corn, beans and squash) and a little meat / high-protein sources.
• On the other hand, the Eskimos (Inuit) of the northern frozen tundras in the early 20th century (before the Coca Cola trucks, etc. arrived) did quite well on a diet consisting almost completely of meat and fish with as little as two percent complex carbs (not too many peach trees up there in the artic).
• The inhabitants of Okinawa (island off coast of Japan), known for their longevity and overall well-being, eat few or no eggs or dairy products.
• In contrast to the Okinawans, the long-lived Bulgarians have a diet extremely high in dairy (cream, cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream) and eggs.
• Should we add that the inhabitants of the Greek Island of Crete consume a supposedly heart-stopping 40% of their calories in the form of fat, but not too long ago had a death rate from heart attacks that was only one-twentieth of the U.S. rate?

And how about this? There is a man living on Mars -- Mars Candy bars, that is. This gentleman from Liverpool, England, from the ages of 20 to 37, ate only Mars bars (12 or so per day). But not to worry, he also drinks large quantities of orange juice and takes his vitamins to balance his diet. Then, during weekends, he branches out and splurges by adding mixed alcoholic drinks of rum, vodka and -- you guessed it -- pieces of Mars bars blended in. Finally, his belief is that he's perfectly healthy on this extreme diet and he has no plans to change it.

Then there's the 88-year-old, as reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, who had eaten 25 eggs a day (can we say compulsive disorder?) for 15 years, and who nevertheless maintained a normal cholesterol level.

Finally, there's the septuagenarian whose claim to fame was eating multiple hot dogs each and every day. When asked on the Tonight Show whether he fried his franks, he said something to the effect of -- of course not, frying foods is bad for you (his belief, shared by many).

These people and individuals have very diverse diets, but are among the healthiest and long-lived in the world (or at least seem to be doing okay in the case of the Mars bar, egg and hot dog eaters). What they all have in common is that they believe that their eating habits are healthful, or at least not very harmful in the case of the individuals mentioned, due to their experiences.Their beliefs to a large extent match their desires for vibrant well-being, and the result is low stress in relation to what they eat, which promotes good health and longevity.

The truth is: The easier thing to do is to align your eating habits with your beliefs about what is good for you. The harder way to go is to try to change your beliefs so you can eat whatever you want. Bottom line: Find healthful foods you like and eat them often and save the decadent desserts and treats for special occassions.

Always check with your health-care provider before making any lifestyle changes.

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

The Little-Known Secret to Staying Fit After 50

Everyone knows the importance of exercise, good nutrition and sufficient sleep/rest to stay in shape as we age. Few, however, know the little-known, but critically important real secret to staying fit after age 50. This missing link, which keeps so many from robust well being in the second half of life, is belief.

Just about everyone age 50 and better would love to look younger, have the energy of decades gone by, and be able to move and perform as they did in their youth. The major deterrent to their taking the steps that would bring these worthwhile desires into fruition is their strong belief that this is just not going to happen. They either believe it is impossible to greatly improve the shape they are in or that, although it's probably possible, it's definitely not worth the effort it would obviously entail.

Ed Mayhew, 63 at the time and author of Fitter After 50, shows of his Abs.

Let's take a general look at the power of belief before we deal with the issue of getting fitter after 50. Think about all the gadgets, gizmos, furniture, clothing, knickknacks and polly whacks that have taken up residence in your home. Every one of these items, from the dishwasher to the latest-styled shoes to the most recent electronic advancement to the nick-knacks on your shelves, was at one time merely an idea in someone's head. Every one of this multitude of objects that now resides in your home would still be just a mental construct if it weren't for our friend, Belief. Someone believed that he (or she, which is, of course, understood) could take his idea, his desire, and make it a reality. That belief is what caused him to take action and persevere until the thought was a manifested thing.

Let's take TV, for example. Back in the 1920s, some men had the ridiculous idea (ridiculous for the time period) that they could send pictures wirelessly through the air, from coast to coast, no less. How crazy was that? Because Vladmir Kosma Zworykin at Westinghouse and Philo Taylor Farnsworth, a farm-boy/inventor from Utah and others believed that television was possible, we now enjoy what was, just a hundred years ago, unimaginable. Or, how about Percy Spencer, who in 1945 invented the microwave oven for the Raytheon Company? If he hadn't believedin the ridiculous concept (ridiculous to most at the time) of cooking with microwaves, we wouldn't have this modern convenience. What about the many computerized devices we now rely on to assist and entertain us? Back in the 1950s the first computers were the size of warehouses and small homes. Because some forward thinkers believed they could shrink these monstrosities down to units that could fit on our desks and into the palm of our hand even, we have reaped rewards that were incomprehensible just a few short years ago. All these modern marvels that make life easier and more enjoyable for so many of us would still be just far-fetched ideas, if not for those who believed they could actually become a reality.

It's the same with us and our fitness and well being after age 50. We can allow the desires/ideas we have of getting in far better shape to stay in the purely mental realm or we can act on these desires to look, feel and perform at levels heretofore thought to be the exclusive domain of the young. If you truly believe, you'll take the necessary steps.

If you need help in believing that you can reclaim the energy levels you had decades ago and the general youthfulness you desire, just look at what some masters athletes are achieving in the world of cycling, running, swimming ... while in their sixties, seventies, eighties and beyond (see the book, Fitter After 50 or Age Blasters). These virtually ageless athletes are enjoying athletic achievements that our grandparents back in the 1950s and 1960s couldn't even conceive of, never mind attempt. They are able to run 26.2-mile marathons, cycle hundreds of miles and even compete well in 140.6-mile Ironman triathlon races because they believe they can. The only thing that is actually really stopping you from staying fit after 50, or getting fitter after 50 than you were before the big 50, is BELIEF. Believeit and you can achieve it.

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

Is Aging's Physical Decline Between 20 and 40 Really Inevitable?

It is commonly accepted as an indisputable fact that the human body deteriorates significantly between the ages of 20 and 40 due to the natural aging process, and one cannot expect to have the energy, stamina and durability of a twenty-year-old when in his forties. Just look at how few professional baseball, basketball and football players are still playing when they reach their forties; and of those few who make it that far, how many are in their athletic prime when they reach that advanced age for an elite athlete. Case closed. Right? Not so fast.

In order to test the truth or fallacy of this belief that aging means our endurance,stamina and ruggedness take a steady inevitable downhill slide, we need a sport that tests these physical attributes better than our major team sports do. A good candidate for this job would be long-distance running. What would be better for checking the endurance and durability of folks of differing ages than comparing their times in a 10K (6.2 miles), 10-miler or 26.2-mile marathon? Why stop there? How about a 100-mile race? That would be even better.

Just any 100-mile footrace, however, wouldn't do. To be a true test, it needed to be a race that attracted the best young ultra-distance runners. We settled on the 100 Mile Trail National Championships, a USA Track & Field-sanctioned race, run July 31 - August 1, 2010 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run course. Since it was a national championship race, it attracted many, if not most, of the top 20- and 30-year-old runners, making it perfect for seeing how the 40-something runners held up in head-to-head competition with the youngsters.

The course was challenging, with virtually no long stretches of level ground on which to cruise; it was, rather, up and down the whole 100 MILES! Keep in mind, uphill taxes the cardiovascular system, while downhills pound the leg muscles into submission. On top of this, think Cleveland/Akron, Ohio in the middle of summer -- that's right -- hot and muggy. This would be a real challenge for the top 40-and-older runners to try to keep pace with the best of the 20- and 30-year-old runners.

Were the older runners able to hold their own in this ultimate challenge of endurance and toughness? Let's see. This championship race along the banks of the Cuyahoga River and through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park started with 249 runners, but due to the tough terrain and difficult running weather, only 166 made it to the finish. Although the race was won by a 34-year-old, Todd Braje, in 15 hours 29 minutes, right behind him in second place was Mark Godale, 40. Even more impressive from an aging point of view was that third place went to Jack Pilla of Charlotte, Vermont -- a 52-YEAR-OLD! As a matter of fact, 13 of the top 20 men were 40 and older, with 20th place going to a 60-YEAR-OLD!

The masters women didn't  do too shabbily, either. Actually, they did better than the men in competing against their own sex, because the top three spots went to women in their forties. Annette Bedrosky, 43, took first for the women (and sixth overall) with a course-record 16:44. That means that of the dozens and dozens of elite women ultra-distance runners in their twenties and thirties who have raced this course over the years, none was able to come close to Annette's time because she beat the record by about two hours.

The women's Top 3 Finishers -- Larissa Abramiuk, 3rd, Annette Bedrosky, 1st, and Connie Gardner, 2nd.
 

Also beating the former course record (her own record) was 46-year-old Connie Gardner, who came in second (Connie may have had an excuse for not doing better, because just two and a half weeks earlier, she had run the Badwater 135-mile race across Death Valley, said to be the world's toughest foot race, a race in which -- despite nearly unbearable desert heat and three mountain crossings --she finished second among the women with an endurance-demanding time of 30 hours 35 minutes). Larissa Abramiuk, 41, of Wayland, Massachusetts, was third and 19th overall.

There you have it. In a national championship race that attracted some of the best ultra-distance runners in the country, those in their forties, and older, took two of the top three spots for the men and a clean sweep for the women.

What better test of one's endurance, stamina and durability than to race on foot 100 miles across rugged terrain in the heat and humidity of summer in Ohio? The results of this race -- these masters runners -- show that aging doesn't have to mean a steady decline of the physical body. If 40-and-better runners can successfully compete with those in their twenties and thirties at the highest level of competition, then much of the physical decline most folks experience between ages 20 and 40 is not the result of inevitable aging, but rather is self-imposed.

 And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)